Gilroy
– Sandra Hanna, daughter of a pioneer Gilroy family, died Monday
at Stanford Hospital after a lengthy illness. She was 65.
Born in Gilroy, Hanna graduated with honors from Gilroy High
School in 1957, where she was a member and advisor of Rainbow
Girls, a service organization for young women.
Gilroy – Sandra Hanna, daughter of a pioneer Gilroy family, died Monday at Stanford Hospital after a lengthy illness. She was 65.

Born in Gilroy, Hanna graduated with honors from Gilroy High School in 1957, where she was a member and advisor of Rainbow Girls, a service organization for young women.

Hanna graduated from San Jose State University, again with honors, with a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education.

She taught elementary school in North Lake Tahoe for four years. She then went to Germany and taught Air Force dependent children for three years.

Hanna returned to California to teach for 33 years in the Campbell Union School District. Upon retirement, she was commended by the district for her exemplary performance.

Teachers Bonnie Mueller and Judy Borlase worked with Hanna for 11 years at Campbell’s Monroe Middle School, where Hanna retired in 2000. The two teachers said Hanna will be greatly missed.

“Sandy Hanna was a very creative, generous and caring member of our teaching staff here at Monroe,” Mueller said. “Her artistic talents inspired her students to achieve goals that they never dreamed of before. Sandy’s ability to weave her many travel experiences into the curriculum added spark and interest to all of her classes.”

Hanna traveled extensively including trips to China, Mexico and throughout Europe.

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Hanna enjoyed hiking and climbed Half Dome in Yosemite and Mount Whitney. She was a member and officer of the California Art Education Association.

She also belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star Magnolia Chapter, the Gilroy Historical Society and F.R.F.G. Book Club in Gilroy.

Her parents, Sandoe and Mildred Hanna, said some of their favorite memories with their daughter were of traveling the world.

“Once, when we went with her through England and Scotland, it was because she bought a Volvo in Sweden. She called us up and said, ‘Get your passports, and we’ll travel around.’ So we did, and we traveled around for six weeks or so,” Mildred Hanna said. “We have quite a number of memories of interesting places we stayed.”

Sandoe, 93, and Mildred, 91, were both born in Gilroy. The couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in April. Sandoe Hanna is the great-grandson of former Gilroy Mayor William Hanna, who came to Gilroy in 1854 and also served in the state legislature.

Hanna Street near downtown Gilroy is named in William Hanna’s honor.

Sandra Hanna is survived by her mother and father, Mildred and Sandoe Hanna; her brothers, Bill and wife Alice, Roy and Terri and Tom and wife, Kathy; nieces, Wendy and husband Jeff Wilson, Laurie and husband Michael Gallegos, Robin and husband Kevin Boden of Colorado, Ruth Hanna of Livermore, and Suzanne and husband Mohamed Ali of Riverside; nephews, Bruce Hanna of Hollister, and Zachery and wife Wynette of Juneau, Alaska. There are also two grand nieces and four grand nephew.

Memorial services will be held at Habing Family Funeral Home, 129 Fourth St. in Gilroy, at 2pm, on Feb. 26, 2005. Reception to follow immediately at the Hanna residence.

The family suggests donations be made to a charity of choice.

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